Pasquale Barbaro “I would rather be poor and free than a millionaire"posed too much of a risk of violating bail conditions and fleeing the country

Barbaro, from Griffith in NSW, is facing five charges of trafficking commercial quantities of ecstasy, money laundering and dealing with the proceeds of crime over a large ecstasy haul uncovered by Australian Federal Police. Pasquale Barbaro posed too much of a risk of violating bail conditions and fleeing the country and therefore refused the application. The 15 million pills were hidden in tomato tins in a container shipped from Italy to Melbourne in June last year. Twenty-five people allegedly involved in the syndicate - stretching from the NSW town of Griffith to Europe - have been charged. Mr Garnett said he agreed with police evidence that Mr Barbaro was the head of the international syndicate allegedly responsible for the 4.4 tonnes of ecstasy. He said that even though there were delays in the case and it would most likely not go to trial until 2010, he had to balance this against the seriousness of the charges and the strength of the prosecution case. The Melbourne Magistrates Court yesterday heard Mr Barbaro believed Mr Mokbel should have stayed “underground” and could have “lived like a king” with his children, “eating fish and drinking champagne” if he had been smarter. The court heard police recorded conversations between the accused and another co-defendant in May last year after they had been watching the news of Mr Mokbel's arrest in Greece on television.
Prosecutor Brent Young told the court listening devices captured Mr Barbaro talking about knowing people who had successfully lived happily in the “mountains of Lebanon” without being caught. “What's money,” he allegedly said. “I would rather be poor and free than a millionaire in jail. F..k that!”

Giovanni Polimeni, 35, today faced Melbourne Magistrates Court charged with aiding and abetting the importation of cocaine.

Giovanni Polimeni, 35, today faced Melbourne Magistrates Court charged with aiding and abetting the importation of cocaine.He was charged after his Griffith home was raided earlier this month as part of the AFP's Operation Inca.The arrest follows the AFP's announcement that it had seized 4.4 tonnes of ecstasy - hidden in tomato tins - with a street value of $440 million and arrested 20 people across Australia in early morning police raids on August 8.The other 23 arrested face a range of charges including drug trafficking, drug importation and money laundering.AFP Commissioner Mick Keelty said recent seizures had prevented 14.6 tonnes of illegal drugs, with a potential street value of $3 billion, hitting Australian streets.The 14-month investigation was the largest ever undertaken by the AFP and had caused a major disruption of organised crime in Australia and overseas, he said.
Polimeni was granted bail with a $250,000 surety. He will face court again next March